The launch of the 29 Principles was successfully held in the House of Lords, Parliament on 7 December 2022. Many guests from the legal, human rights and political sectors of different nations attended the event and showed their support to human rights lawyers in Hong Kong and China.
The 29 Principles’ patron Baroness Helena Kennedy KC addressed the guests, following Catherine West MP’s introduction, stressing the importance of our mandate, the UN “Basic Principles on the Role of Lawyers”. Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP then made a speech as well. In their speeches, the guest speakers showed their support to the 29 Principles’ work and their concern for the deteriorating human rights situation in Hong Kong and China, in particular declining the rule of law situation in Hong Kong and associated crackdown on human rights defenders and ethnic minorities in China.
Prominent Chinese human rights lawyers Wang Yu and Yu Wensheng; another patron of the 29 Principles, Professor Jerome Cohen; and Kevin Yam, a Hong Kong lawyer and our board member, made speeches online, describing their current situation and recognising the 29 Principles’ work.
Our Executive Director, Chakra Ip, then introduced our founding story and highlighted the 5 key on-going projects of the 29 Principles, including 1) Learning and Training, 2) Mental Health Support, 3) Legal and Humanitarian Aid, 4) Media and 5) Advocacy. She also called on guests to show solidarity with Chinese human rights lawyers and the protestors of the “Blank Paper Revolution” currently happening in Mainland China.
